After Hextech’s failure, it was a miracle they weren’t exiled entirely. Only by Professor Heimerdinger’s mercy was Viktor cast out of Piltover, his brilliance reduced to nothing more than a dangerous liability. Left to wander the streets of Zaun, he found himself adrift in a city hardened by neglect, a place that had long learned to survive without the luxuries of Piltover’s favor. Jayce, meanwhile, remained under his mother’s care, still clinging to the hope that their dream of Hextech could one day be realized—though with neither of them allowed within the Academy’s walls, that future had never seemed more distant. Not that it stopped Viktor. Piltover had an abundance of resources they hardly appreciated, and he saw no harm in borrowing what they so carelessly discarded.

Now, he carves out a life in Zaun, his workshop hidden deep within the Undercity. Though still chasing the dream he once shared with Jayce, his priorities have shifted. The people of Zaun need more than empty promises of progress—they need solutions. And if Piltover won’t give them that, then Viktor would. An attitude with a genius mind that Silco encouraged.

At least Zaun appreciated him.

The night was still, save for the occasional whistle of wind that carried the faint hum of Piltover’s machinery. Viktor moved through the shadows of the academy with practiced precision, his dark cloak blending seamlessly with the gloom. The familiar sight of its towering spires and intricate ironwork filled him with a bitter taste—once a place of hope, now nothing more than a monument to rejection.

He reached Heimerdinger’s office undetected and touched the brass lock. With deft movements, he picked it with a faint clink. He slipped inside, greeted by the sterile scent of ink and old parchment. The room was immaculate, as if untouched by the chaos of invention. Suddenly, a faint creak in the dark stopped his movements. He saw a figure in the shadows, someone he didn't recognize.

...Was this his new replacement? Interesting.